Tiltable spool stand



Dec. 18, 1962 R. V. DOMER TILTABLE SPOOL STAND Filed Jan. 2. 1962 Russell l/ Domer IN VL'X 7 ii; v

United States Patent Ofifice Patented Dec. 18, 1962 3,069,110 TILTABLE SPOOL STAND Russell V. Domer, Box 276, Okeechobee, Fla.

Filed Jan. 2, 1962, Ser. No. 163,721 7 Claims. (Cl. 242-129.6)

cope with and has reference, more particularly, to' a spool supporting stand which is unique in that it enables a single workman to lift the spool from ground level to the desired elevated dispensing position.

The idea of constructing a spool or reel stand so that the stand itself is tiltable and manually maneuverable to jack up and elevate the axle and spool to a dispensing plane is not new. For further information on and clarification of this aspect of the instant matter reference may be made to a similarly constructed and performing reel stand disclosed in Patent 2,601,960.

An object of the instant venture is to structurally, functionally and in other ways improve on the patented reel stand referred to and, in so doing, to provide a simple,

practical and expedient construction which, it is believed, will justify endorsement by manufacturers, recommendation by retailers, and unqualified approval by users.

To the ends desired and, in carrying out a preferred embodiment of the instant concept, a knockdown stand is provided. A length of pipe or rod is passed through the hub portion of the spool with the ends projecting to pro vide journals. These journals are mounted for rotation in cooperating bearings provided atop a pair of duplicate readily applicable and removable bracket-like leg units, thus providing a simple knockdown but practical stand structure. 9

More specifically, each leg unit embodies a single vertically disposable leg having a foot at the bottom, the foot being such in construction that it provides a stand fulcruming and tilting member.

Then, too, novelty is predicated on asimple practical leg unit having a bearing at the upper end and a relatively short sleeve at the lower end, the sleeve constituting a foot, providing a socket member for a readily attachable and detachable handling lever, and permitting the lever to be slid through with its half-portions beyond the ends of the foot to serve as stabilizing and stand balancing members.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter de scribed and claimed, reference being bad to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective of the complete ready-to-use spool and stand combination;

FIGURE 2 is a view on a slightly larger scale with parts in section and elevation and taken on the section line 22 of FIGURE 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 3 is a view in end elevation showing the fulcruming and jacking or lifting step wherein the reel is lifted from the ground using the leverage and fulcruming principle illustrated;

FIGURE 4 is a view based on FIGURE 3 and showing the stand erect and the reel ready for use; and

FIGURE 5 is a view based on FIGURE 4 and showing how the rods, which serve both as handles and levers, are slid and shifted through the foot sleeves to assume the bracing and balancing position perhaps best shown in FIGURE 1.

With reference first to FIGURE 1 the spool or reel is denoted generally by the numeral 6 and for purposes of the instant disclosure and explanation may be assumed to be a relatively heavy spool having heavy-duty cable 8 wound thereon. The concept is directed to heavy duty requirements wherein a single workman can take care of the steps illustrated in FIGURES 3, 4 and 5, it will be evident that the spool may serve to have wire, rope or, for that matter, sheet material or tubular conduits coiled thereon. In any event, the spool comprises a hub 10 as shown in FIG. 2 the circular or disk-like heads 12 having axial holes 14 therein to accommodate the horizontal shaft or axle 16. This part may be a simple rod of requisite length and strength which has end portions projecting through the holes and beyond the heads and defining journals 18, the journals being turnable in the bracketlike leg units 20. While the overall device is referred to as a supporting stand, it will be evident that actually the leg units 20 may themselves constitute individual stands and in fact may be equally well described as simple jacks.

alent rigid single leg 22 having a tubular head 24- at the top with an abutment flange 26 opposed to the head of the spool and defining a bearing for the adjacent journal. The journal-ends may be held in place by optionally usable cotter keys 19. Thelower end of each leg is provided with a foot. The foot is also a fulcruming or tilting member and therefore preferably comprises a relatively short open-ended rigid sleeve 28. The sleeve can be cocked or angled to the fulcruming and lifting position shown in FIGURE 3 and this is preferably accomplished by way of the leverage producing levers 30. Each lever is a suitable length of pipe or tubular rod stock and in the step or stage illustrated in FIGURE 3 the lower or forward end is telescoped into the sleeve 28 whereby the sleeve becomes a socket. Thus one man with both levers in the position shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 3 stands between the upper end portions and then forces downwardly in the direction of the arrow A with the result that the stand functions to jack up the spool to assume its dispensing position. While the sleeves 28 could be a little longer and perhaps be self-standing, it has been found desirable to use the easy-to-tilt construction shown and then to slide or slip the levers into and through the sleeves so that the forward and rearward half-portions 32 and 34 project evenly beyond the ends of the sleeve and thus provide a balanced base for the stand. It is conceivable that with the end portions 32 and 34 projecting evenly, two men, one on the left and one on the right, might lift up the entire stand and spool thereon (considering, of course,

the weight and size) and with the spool thus cradled carry it from one place to another.

It is believed that a careful consideration of the specification in conjunction with the views of the illustrative, but not restrictive, drawing persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates will be able to fully understand the construction, features and advantages and best mode of using the invention. Consequently, a more lengthy description is believed to be unnecessary.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A spool and stand combination comprising: a pair of leg units embodying upstanding legs having integral ground engaging feet at lower ends thereof and bearings at upper ends thereof, and a spool removably located between said upper ends and having axial outstanding journals mounted for rotation in their respective bearings, said feet being horizontal and short and tiltable in a manner that corresponding forward ends are designed and adapted to rest and fulcrum on the ground or equivalent support surface, each foot embodying and providing a socket member for reception of an end of an elongated readily attachable and detachable rod, the latter constituting a handling lever.

2. A spool and stand combination comprising: a pair of upstanding legs having ground engaging feet at their lower ends and bearings at their upper ends, and a spool located between the upper ends and having axial journals mounted for rotation in said bearings, said feet being horizontal and short and tiltable in a manner that corresponding forward ends are designed and adapted to fulcrum on the ground or equivalent support surface, each foot comprising a rigid open-ended sleeve centrally joined to the lower end of the leg, said sleeve providing a socket member, and in combination, an elongated handling rod having a median portion thereof fitting removably in its cooperating sleeve, the sleeve-equipped leg and accompanying rods providing a reliable. base-equipped stand.

3. A spool stand comprising: a pair of duplicate leg stands each including a horizontal sleeve, a single leg attached to the median portion of and rising vertically from the sleeve and provided at an upper end thereof with a tubular open-ended member at right angles to the sleeve and providing a bearing, and a spool suspension axle spanning the space between the bearings and having end portions journaled in the respective bearings.

4. The structure defined in claim 3 and in combination, a pair of duplicate elongated lever arms having median portions fitting slidingly in their respective sleeves and end portions projecting beyond respective ends of the sleeve and constituting stabilizing braces.

5. A spool and stand combination comprising: a pair of opposed upstanding parallel legs having ground engaging feet at their lower ends and bearings at their upper ends, and a spool located between the upper ends and having axial journals mounted for rotation in said bearings,

said feet being horizontal and short and tiltable in a manner that corresponding forward ends are designed and adapted to fulcrum on the ground or equivalent support surface, each foot comprising an open-ended sleeve, said sleeve providing a socket member for removable reception of a cooperating end of an elongated rigid rod, the latter constituting a handling lever.

6. A portable knockdown stand adapted to support a spool mounting axle, said stand comprising a pair of duplicate leg stands, one stand for each supported end portion of said axle, each stand comprising a relatively short rigid open-ended sleeve constituting a ground engaging and fulcruming foot, a complemental leg having a lower end thereof secured rigidly to a median portion of and rising vertically from the companion sleeve and provided at an upper end with a tubular open-ended member disposed at right angles to the lengthwise axis of the sleeve and providing a bearing for the coacting end portion of said axle, and a pair of duplicate elongated lever arms adapted to assume opposed parallel coplanar relationship when resting lengthwise on the ground, each lever arm comprising an elongated rod, the intermediate portion of said rod being slidingly and removably fitted in the sleeve with which it is cooperable and the end portions of the rod projecting beyond the respective ends of the sleeve.

7. The structure defined in claim 6 and wherein the opposed inner ends of said tubular open-ended members are provided with radial outstanding abutment flanges, and an axle spanning the space between the flanges and having end portions thereof projecting through and outwardly beyond the respective coacting tubular members, the projecting end portions thereof being provided with readily applicable and removable cotter keys in the manner and for the purposes described.

Davis Sept. 23, 1924 Hick July 1, 1952 

